


Lesson in Mercy

by Hobbit_Riddlebird



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: 666 Fics Fics Fics (Good Omens), Crows, Gardener Aziraphale (Good Omens), Gen, Nanny Crowley (Good Omens)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 08:49:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19826668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hobbit_Riddlebird/pseuds/Hobbit_Riddlebird
Summary: Written for the 666 Challenge: word "wings"Warlock finds a crow with a broken wing and gets a lesson in mercy from Nanny Ashtoreth and Brother Francis.





	Lesson in Mercy

**Author's Note:**

> I probably stretched the word prompt "wings" a bit in this. But I need more Nanny Ashtoreth, Brother Francis, Warlock in this fandom.
> 
> Just a short thing.

Warlock was walking in the gardens alone when he found the injured bird. It lay broken on the ground trying to flap it's twisted black wing. It looked up at him and squawked. He felt something. Not pity. It was a pathetically weak creature and he wanted it to be quiet. He found a stone nearby and lifted it up above his head.

"Wouldn't do that if I were you."

The boy hid the stone behind his back and turned around. Oh! It was only Nanny Ashtoreth. He liked Nanny. She always paid attention to him, unlike father, and always let him do whatever he wanted, unlike mother. "It's broken. It's useless."

"It has merely fallen, boy," Nanny knelt down, there was a small yellow flower in her hair the boy noticed, so she had been visiting Brother Francis again, though he was not supposed to know about that, it was his secret. "And not all broken things are useless."

"But it is only a crow, Nanny."

"Only a crow is one of the most intelligent and loyal of Her creations," she held out her hand for the stone. "Spare this creature today and she shall always be in your debt, as will her children and grandchildren. Or, kill her now and make of her ilk an enemy. It is your choice."

"Would it not be a mercy to kill it?"

"Perhaps," she smiled. He wished he could see her eyes behind the sunglasses she always wore.

"Brother Francis says it is a mercy to end suffering." He tossed the stone in his hand. "He says I should always show mercy of small animals."

"Suffering can be a blessing but I fear that is another lesson for another day," she picked the crow up in her hand. "Which is it to be young Warlock? Blessing or mercy?"

Nanny was the strangest person he knew and he loved her for it. He wanted to please her. He dropped the stone. "Blessing."

"Come," she stood with the bird in hand. "We shall take the crow to Francis to mend."

Warlock followed Nanny to the Gardener's hut. Nanny knocked on the door with her cane.

Brother Francis opened the door. "Lady Ashtoreth, what do I owe the pleasure again so soon?" He looked down at Warlock, gave a winking smile. "And the young master with you."

"The boy found this wounded bird in his playing," she lifted the crow. "We have brought her to you to mend her wing."

"I… of course, come in both of you," the homely gardener let them in. "Place the crow on the table, we'll need some twigs to hold the wings and some twine." He came back with the tools. "We should put the poor thing to sleep, I should wonder."

Nanny lay the crow down and stroked its feathers, sang a soft lullaby.

"Have not heard you sing before, you've a lovely voice, my'dear."

Warlock thought the gardener teased Nanny.

"She is asleep."

The boy yawned, he wondered if Nanny used the same trick on him every night.

"Hold the wing out like so," Brother Francis instructed Nanny. "I will hold the braces and, Warlock, you've the smallest fingers, you tie the string around the twigs to hold it together."

Warlock never felt as though he belonged. But he felt an energy between them as the three of them fixed the bird, and it felt something like belonging. They almost felt like a family, if he knew what the word was.

"There, that should do I think," the gardener stepped back and clapped his hands together. He handed Warlock an empty basket. "Take this outdoors and gather leaves and grass for bedding."

Warlock took it sullenly, he knew when adults were trying to get rid of him. Adults had been doing it his whole life. He turned back at the door unnoticed.

"You always did have an affinity for crows," Brother Francis said softly.

"Thank you, angel."

Nanny took Brother Francis's hand.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Ps - Aziraphale and Crowley have no idea how to mend a bird's wing. Don't worry. Aziraphale miracles it well as soon as Warlock leaves. Lol.


End file.
